Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $532 in Cairo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $856 in Cairo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,181 in Cairo.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 340% more expensive than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Cairo is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.00 E£204

327.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$19.64 E£1,003

252.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.87 E£249

182.96%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.53 E£78.2

80.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.40

$0.33 E£17.07

745.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.14 E£7.23

1321.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.34 E£68.5

225.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.73 E£139

73.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.88 E£45.14

46.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.60 E£30.45

241.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.70 E£35.70

184.29%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.46 E£74.7

132.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$3.44 E£176

446.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.15 E£212

125.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$8.52 E£435

124.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$1.56 E£79.8

73.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.56 E£28.83

317.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.48 E£24.34

341.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.42 E£21.21

578.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.46 E£23.69

328.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.43 E£21.99

318.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.22 E£11.16

559.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.23 E£11.68

273.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.01 E£103

237.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.51 E£384

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.28 E£65.3

8.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.70 E£86.7

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.31 E£16.02

841.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$5.94 E£304

383.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.39 E£19.68

1043.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.29 E£14.64

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$0.95 E£48.29

3010.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.31 E£15.68

487.10%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.8K €33.5K

$36.4K E£1.9M

6.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.1K €28.5K

$30.2K E£1.5M

9.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €163

$25.81 E£1,318

633.17%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.80 €19.65

$8.30 E£424

174.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$12.52 E£639

200.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$15.66 E£800

268.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$6.71 E£343

209.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.60 E£184

200.56%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$728 €628

$91.7 E£4,682

694.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$2,007 E£102.5K

635.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$31.34 E£1,600

182.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$43.96 E£2,245

-16.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$105 E£5,349

-2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$59.8 E£3,053

94.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$202 E£10.3K

675.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$129 E£6,608

841.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$412 E£21.1K

577.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$251 E£12.8K

685.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$845 E£43.2K

817.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$470 E£24.0K

1001.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$188 E£9,626

1143.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.67

-79.66%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cairo: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $202 in Cairo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $20.00 in Cairo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $126 per month, with Cairo cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cairo differ by about 340% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $532 including rent). Cairo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1143% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $202 in Cairo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $91.7 in Cairo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $532 in Cairo versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cairo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Cairo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cairo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 340% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.